Windshield-cleaning device



H. P. HANSEN WINDSHIELD CLEANING DEVICE Filed March 3 192) 2 Sheets-Sheet. l

fNgw, '11, 192,4. 15153584 H. P. HANSEN WINDSHIELD CLEANING DEVICE Filed March 5 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lllllllf,

40 of the windshleldas-.v'v'v yas in-proper clean'- in contact during its downward movement.`

Patented Nov. 11,1924.

atl

`lowing is a specification.

UNITED STATES g g 1,515,584 PATENT oFFICE.

nANs r. HANSEN, or ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, AssIeNoEro HANSEN WINDSHIELD CLEANER co.',fINc., A conromTIoN or NEW Yonx. l Y

WINDSHIELn-CLEANING DEvIcE.

Application led March 8, 1,921. (Serial No.v 449,419..

, dent of Orange, in the county ofEssex and State of -New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Windshield-leaningDevices, of which the vfol- This invention relates to improvements in windshield cleanlng devlce.

One of the ob'ects of this invention -is to produce a winds ield cleaning'device .which -is operable'by a simple vmampulation of a lever handle on the inner side oi? the -windshield to clean the entire exteriorglasssurface of a windshield 'or the likeand to' this end to cause a wiper of substantlally the width of the windshield to be moved vertically and firmly pressed in contact with the exterior surface' of the glass and t o be automaticallyvreturned to starting posltlon upon release of the operatinghan 1e by the user.

Another object of my' invention isthe provision of means for causing a wiper extending `horizontally or transversely of the lass of' a windshield to'havefa downward c eaning movement during lmanual operationof theoperating handle and ftohave' a `free uprward movement, released from rubbing contact, on the upstroke or return movement so that thel springs for causing the automatic return'will be relieved of the load` cause a cleaning or rubbing contact." Y

Another object of my 4invention is to produce simple operatin mechanism gfor caus- .ing a horizontallyis osed wiper to be moifed vertically and to times during its' movement inproper hori- L zontal disposition or. in-substantially' paralfY lel relationshipto the u per and-lower rails till another'object offmy invention is to produce a compact and' inexpensive construcvment over the entire lglasssurface and. tobe eaning' engagement at membersjad' arrangements of' parts. so com,

as` to comet, and'zcooperate with-.each

dI by maintained at all casing 2A of :ny-winds other in the performance of the functions and the accomplishment of the results herein contemplated; and comprises in one of its adaptations the species or preferred form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichat Fig. l is a front elevation of my windshield cleaning device'in its casing and fastened to the top of the windshield, the wiper bar belng in its'uppermost position;

. Fig-2 is a similarview with the wiper bar 1n its lowermost position;

Fig.. S-.is` a rear elevation of the'cleaning device shown in Figs. `l and 2 removed'from the windshield; h

Fig. 4 is a vertical section on the line 4--4 of Flg. 2; f'

Fig. l5 is a yfragmentary detail view on the Vlme 5 5 of Fig. 10, showing the connection between the wiper bar and the connecting .arms and the (position ofthe wiper bar dur mgvits upwar movement; F; 6 is a section' on the line 6--6 of Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view showin a portion of the casmg in longitudinal section and. portions of .the connecting arms'in extended positions; l I

Fig. 8 is asimilar view showing the connectingarms rocked downwardly -to'move the cleaner in'theposition shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary view of the center of the cas1ng,'wiper bar,op`erating arms and lever handle; i

'l fFig. 10 isa detail-view showing the connectionf between one of the connecting arms and the wiper bar, the latter being in the .tionH-between the two connecting arms 'and the operating shaft;`

y Referring now to these drawings, 1 'indifA cates ay windshield, to"-the upper end of whlch is secured, in au15; suitablemanner, the

ield cleaning device, wh1ch-casing as illustrated, comprises a channel .or U-shaped bar preferably closed at its opposite ends.v .Said 'casin v1p2'is preferably lmounted onl the top of t e'windshield by. bracketsv 3 :which is riveted by' rivets 32-3, tothe saidcasi 2 and is adaptedto itover theupper rai 'molding 1L of the gwinqshield. ,Y Wlthn the casing 2. are, as shown,

mounted two shafts 4- 4u and on these shafts are mounted two radially-extendin connecting arms 5 5, to the outer ends o which are kconnected a wiper-bar 6. The wiper-bar 6 has a travelling connection with the outer ends of the connecting arms 5 58L so that a conjoint arcuate movement of the said arms 5 5a will cause the wiper-bar to be moved vertically along the surface of the windshield glass 1". As illustrated, the wiper-bar 6 has iixedly mounted adjacent to its opposite ends two pairs of bearings 7 7 and 8 8. In the pair of bearings 7 7 adjacent to one end of the -wiper-bar is mounted a rod 9 and in the pair of bearings 8 8 at the op ite end is mounted a rod 10. On the rod);s 9 and 10 respectively are mounted yoke-shaped slides 11 and 12 and these move or travel along the rods 9 and 10 respectively. These yoke-shaped slides are preferably pivotally connected at 11M-12a respectively to the arms 5 5a and are movable about said pivot'only in the plane of movement of the arms so as to permlt an articulating movement between the arms and slides. When the parts are so connected and mounted, the downward arcuate movement in equal arcs of the arms 5 5a will cause the travel ofthe slides 11 and 12 along such rods 9 and 10 respectively and will thus move the wiper-bar downwardly andupwardly or vertically in a plane para-llelto the surface of the glass, and if the wiperbar were rigidly connected to such connecting arm the movement thereof would cause the wiper in the wiper-bar to be rubbed against thesurface of the vglass in opposite directions. It is desirable, however, that the contacting movement of the wiper 6a be limited to the movement of the bar 6 in one direction only and that this direction should be the downward movement. It is also desirable that during this rubbing contact of the wiper 6a with the surface of the glass that it be maintained in such rubbing engagement yyieldingly and that at the end of the downward stroke of the device the rubbing contact be eliminated so as to permit a more facile automatic return of the device.

For the purpose of procuring such a yield# ing contact during the downward movement of the wiper bar 6, I preferably provide a pivotal connection between the slides l1 and 12 with the wiper-bar 6 and then insert a spring 13 abutting between an elevated portlon 14 of the said slides 11 and 12 and the upper surface 6a of the wiper bar 6 so that normally the wiper bar 6 will be swung pivotally on the rods and into parallel relationship to the arms 5 5a and the connecting slides l1 and 12 which, as aforesaid, are

pivoted to move or articulate in the plane of movement of such arms only. a 'I-his pivotal movement enables the swinging out of the way of the wiper bar 6 in its return or upward automatic movement. The connecting arms 5 5are preferably normally retained in or moved to their uppermost position by means of springs 15 which are preferably coiled about the shafts 4 4 on which the arms 5 5 are mounted. Each of the springs 15 has, as shown, portions 158| abutting against the under side of the arms 5 5 respectively and other portions 15b-15b abuttinglagainst the inner surface of the top of the U-s aped casing 2, so that the springs will cause these connecting arms vto be retained in their folded or uppermost positions. When the arms 5 5a are moved downwardly, they will,lbecause of the travelling connection with the wiper-bar 6 cause the said wiper-bar 6 to be moved downwardly and because the'springs 15 are stronger than the springs 13, said springs 15 will, in the upward automatic return movement cause the wiper-bar to be swung into the horizontal position indicated in Fig. 6 against the action of the spring 13, in which position the mouth of the casing 2 will be closed by the wiper-bar 6 and the wiper 6a.

It is desirable that both arms 5 5a be operated simultaneously from a single operating shaft, and to this end, I preferably piv- .ot the arm 5 loosely upon the shaft 4a and provided the said arm 5 with a cam finger 16, the under surface of which abuts against the upper surface of the cooperating cam linger 17 mounted on the bar 5, which latter arm is preferably fixed to an operating shaftv 4 which extends through a hole or into a' notch in the upper molding rail 1a of the windshield and has an operating lever 19 keyed thereto at its inner end within the car. The opposite ends of the casing are preferably provided with means for tripping the wiper-bar 6 in its downward movement so as to cause an initial tilting of the wiper bar 6 which in turn will cause the wiper 6a to be forced i-nto contact and held resiliently against the surface of the glass at an angle to the plane thereof. This tilting is preferably accomplished by providing each end of the casing 2 with trips 20 which extend into the path of movement of the bar and-cause an initial tilting of the bar 6 in its downward movement, which tilted position will be retained by the frictional contact of the wiper with'the glass while power is applied to theoperating handle in the downward movement of the wiper bar. The wiper 6a will therefore rub along the glass i-n such inclined plane during such downward movement of the said bar 6 by the arms 5 5a. Thebar 6 is limited in its tilting movement by means of the toes 11b 12b on'the connecting slides 11 and 12 respectively, which bear againstv the upper surface of the bar -6 during its downward movement and cause the pressure applied to the handle 19 to be exerted against the said bar in its tilted position and against the relatively weak pressure of the spring 13. -So soon, however, as operating pressure on the handle is relieved, the wiper-bar 6 and its strip will swing pivotally as abovev described and the stronger spring 15 will cause the bar 6 to make a returnmovement in vertical position and then to be swung into the horizontal positionv shown in F ig. 6.

In the form of my invention illustrated, compression springs 21 are preferably mounted on the rods 9 and'l() to assist in forcing the slides outwardly along the said rods and consequently acting to assist the main spring 15 in automatically returning said arms 5 and 5 to their uppermost'positions.

In Fig. 11, I have illustrated a modified form of connection between the arms 5-5a. In this modified construction, pinions 22 and 28 are mountedon the shafts 4 and 4 and intermeshl to cause the arms 5 5 to be moved simultaneously.

Having described my invention Iclaim 1. A windshield cleaning `device embodying, in construction, a wiper-bar extending vtransversely across the windshield and having a wiper mounted therein and pivotally mounted connecting arms movable in an arcuate path and having a travelling connection with said wiper bar for moving said wiper bar vertically inl parallel relationship to the glass, means Jfor causing said wiper to be held in yielding engagement with the surface of the .glass during movement in one direction and to be moved away from said glass in its movement in the opposite direction, and means for moving said connecting arms.

2. A windshield cleaning device embodying, in construction, a wiper-bar extending transversely across the windshield and havmg a wiper mounted therein, slides mounted to have reciprocal movement on said wiper bar; arms pivotally mounted at the upper edge of the windshield to swing in a vertical plane adjacent to and parallel with the windshield, and having a pivotal connection with said slides, means for causing said connecting arms to move in an arcuate path to move the wiper bar parallel to the surface of the glass and means for swinging the bar about a horizontal axis to cause the wiper to be moved vinto contact with the surface of the glass of the windshield on its downward movement.

3. A windshield cleaning device embodying, in construction, a wiper-bar extending transversely across the windshield and having a wiper mounted therein, slides mounted to have reciprocal movement on said wiper bar; arms pivotally mounted at the upper end of the windshield in contiguous relationship to each other; means at said pivotal mountings to provide operative interenk gagement of said arms w1th each other to cause simultaneous movement in opposite diy rections and having a pivotal connection with said slides, means for causing said connecting arms to move in an arcuate path to move the wiper bar parallel to the surface of the glass and means for swinging `the bar about a horizontal axis tocause the wiper to be .moved into Contact with the surface of the moving the said bar normally in an outward direction away from the windshield and means adapted to move the wiper in said wiper bar into initial rubbing contact with the windshield against the action of said spring.

5. A windshield cleaning device embodying, in combination, yan operating Shaft and means for operating the same; pivotallymovable arms o eratively connected with said shaft; a wiper bar having a wiper mounted therein and having a travelling connection with said pivotally-movable arms to cause said wiper vbar to have vertical movement and also having a pivotal connection with said arms to permit said bar to be swung outwardly away from the surface of the windshield, spring means for moving the said bar normally in an outward direction away from the windshield M a stronger spring connected to the said arms and adapted to cause said wiper bar to be initially moved into horizontal position against the pressure of said first-mentioned spring.

6. A windshield cleaning device embodying, in combination, an operating shaft and means for operatin" the same; pivotallymovable arms operatively connected with said shaft; a wiper bar having a wiper mounted therein and having a travelling connectionwith said pivotally-movable armsto cause said wiper bar to have vertical movement and also having a pivotal connection with said arms to permit said bar to -be swung outwardly away from the surface of the windshield, spring means for moving the said bar normally in an outward direction away from the windshield; a stronger spring connected to said arms and adapted to cause said`wiper bar to be initially moved GFI into horizontal position against the pressure of said first-mentioned spring, and trirv:-

means in the path of movement of said wiperbar for causinginitial wiping contact of the wiper during its downward movement bythe operatingmeans.

y7. A windshield cleaning'device embodying, in combination, an' operating shaft and.

tion with said arms to permit said holder to be swung outwardly away from the surfacey of the windshield, spring means for moving the said bar normally in an outward direction awav from thewindshield, a stronger .springadapted to cause said wiper bar to `be initially moved into horizontalposition against the pressure of said irst-mentioned spring, and tripping means in the path of g movement of said lbar for causing a. tiltingv against the pressure of the irst-mentioned relatively weak spring to cause v.a yielding contact between said wiper and glass during the power movement of the o'peratino` shaft v and a movement out of contact hv nifl mhtively weak spring when power movement of the shaft-is discontinued.

8. A windshield cleaning deviceembodying, in combination, an operating shaft and means for operating the same; p'kivotally-v movable arms operatively connected with said shaft; a wiper having awiper mounted therein and hav' a travelling connection with said pivotallymovable arms to cause said wiper bar to have vertical movement and also having a pivotal connection with said arms to permit said bar to be swung outwardl?7 away from the surface of the windshie d, s ring means for moving the said bar normaliy in an outward direction away from the windshield, a stronger springladapted to cause said wiper b ar to be initia y moved into horizontal position against the pressure of said rstmentioned spring, andgtripping means -in `the path of movement of said bar for causing a tilting -against the pressure of the first-.mentioned relativel weak spring to cause a yielding contact between sald wiper and glass lduring the power movement of the operating shaft and a movement out of con- `tact by said, relatively weak spring when power movement of the' shaft is discontinued and means on saidv slides for limiting the tilting movement of saidwiper bar an transmitting power movement to the wiper` bar during actuation of said shaft.

In witness whereof, .I have signed my lname to the foregoing specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

HANS. n HANSEN. Witnesses:

FREDERICK P. RANDOLPH, J osEPH F. .OBR1EN. 

